A case of cystadenoma arising in the upper lip

Cystadenoma, a common benign tumor derived from glandular tissue, generally occurs in the appendix, ovaries, kidney, or pancreas. While rare in the oral and maxillofacial region, they do sometimes occur in the parotid or minor salivary glands. We report a case of cystadenoma arising in the upper lip region. The patient was a 37-year-old woman referred to our hospital with a painless mass on the left upper lip initially found during treatment at a local dental clinic. The medical history was non-contributory. The 7×5-mm mass was well-defined, elastic, and flexible. The surface of the mucosa appeared healthy. The mass was clinically diagnosed as a benign tumor of the left upper lip. Because the tumor was painless and slow-growing, and magnetic resonance imaging suggested that it was benign, resection was performed under local anesthesia without biopsy. Histopathologically, cystadenoma was diagnosed. No signs of recurrence or metastasis have been seen as of 24 months postoperatively and the progress of the patient has been satisfactory.